What’s Next? Planning Your Transition to Retirement

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

Retiring from a career is a significant emotional and psychological adjustment for many. Many courses and resources address topics such as financial planning for retirement, legal issues, and the physical transitions of aging. This course will focus instead on considerations of emotional well-being during your retirement transition and next chapter.  

We will provide skills and resources for social-emotional development to soon-to-retire professionals, or those newly retired. Enhance resilience and transition-coping skills. Establish new social connections with other course participants.

PROGRAM DATES & TIMES

Please sign up for the interest list and we’ll let you know when future program dates are announced.

Pre-class work will be sent a week before the start of the program, and after each session.

MODALITY

This participatory program will be offered synchronously via Zoom—you’ll need access to a stable internet connection. Between classes, there will be reading and exploratory assignments (as well as time during sessions to work on your proposals). Breakout sessions with other participants and one-on-one time with the instructor are built into the program.

PROGRAM BENEFITS

This online retirement exploration program has an interactive, experiential learning delivery, allowing discussion and individual reflection & exploration.  This course will introduce strategies for you to:

  • Develop your skills and access resources
  • Enhance your resilience and coping skills
  • Clarify your values and identify your strengths
  • Invest in your social and psychological portfolio-building
  • Review life change stages and adopt self-care strategies

TOPICS COVERED

  1. Psychological and philosophical topics of aging
  2. Caring for your brain and heart – wellness resources beyond your medical care
  3. New connections – build and maintain relationships outside of work
  4. Resilience and coping skills during caretaking and loss
  5. Finding out what’s next –exploring work, learning, and volunteer opportunities; developing existing or new hobbies.
  6. Adventures near and far
  7. Overview of other resources beyond these course topics

WHO SHOULD ENROLL

This course is designed for individuals who are contemplating retirement or who are newly retired.  (We will not cover planning the legal or financial aspects of retirement in this course; there are other places to work on those processes.)

INSTRUCTOR

Photo of Pat McCabePat McCabe, MS, MEd is a New Hampshire-based human resources partner with 24 years of experience asking future retirees: What are your plans for after you retire? With master’s degrees in Counseling and Higher Education Administration, she has been connecting people to resources at non-profit organizations and in higher education since shoulder pads and big hair were in fashion.

PROGRAM FEE

$250

Click here to apply for a need-based scholarship.

CLASS CAPACITY

20 maximum

CONTACT HOURS

9 contact hours

Certificate of Completion available after program completion.

ACCOMMODATIONS

For more information or to request an accommodation, contact us at um.continuinged@maine.edu.